


Adrenaline

by JenniM777



Series: Keithtober 2019 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-15 07:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20862557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniM777/pseuds/JenniM777
Summary: Day 1 of Keithtober 2019: Adrenaline





	Adrenaline

**Author's Note:**

> So......I've been sucked into Keithtober. I love Keith. I can't help it. Let's see if I can manage to complete the entire month. And of course I've started off one day late. 
> 
> On a side note, I've seen two different set of prompts for Keithtober so I sort of combined both. Some days may have more than one prompt associated with it for that reason.

It feels like it’s been hours. Keith’s arms are heavy, he feels like he can barely lift them to swing his sword, but he does. Even as more Galra sentries keep coming at him. He lifts his sword, swings, slashes, stabs, feints, spins, dodges, rinse and repeat.

He’s lost track of everyone else except for the chatter over the comms. He hears Pidge scream, Hunk’s horrified “NO!” He can almost feel the wind when he hears Allura’s whip cracking and snapping over and over. But the thing that has his heart beating triple time in his chest is the radio silence from Lance. Not even the distinct sound of a sniper rifle or the laser charge from his blaster.

Nothing.

The silence terrifies Keith. It’s because of the silence that he keeps fighting. Even when he sees spatters of blood, even when he feels the slice of something across his upper arm that makes him scream in pain. It hurts enough that his Bayard loses its form and he barely has enough time or strength to lift his shield to block an incoming blow.

In the moment it takes Keith to switch his Bayard from his useless right arm to his left arm it costs him. There’s a hit and his helmet goes flying. It costs him more than his helmet when a flash of memory stops him where he stands. All he can see is Shiro standing in front of him, eyes glowing and a smile that is pure evil. It’s a smile that gave Keith nightmares for weeks and sometimes even still does. He’s rooted to the spot as the sentry lands another blow to Keith’s head. It’s enough to make him see stars. He tilts dangerously on his feet and he’s fighting now against a serious case of nausea and dizziness.

He still hasn’t taken any steps to activate his Bayard when he hears Pidge yelling at him, “Keith! Watch out!”

It’s a struggle and it’s like he’s fighting through quicksand but Keith finally shifts his Bayard into its familiar form of a sword and he blocks a slash from a sentry that would have surely taken his head off at his neck. It’s taking everything in him to hold his sword in place, to not let the sentry make that final strike. And then out of nowhere there’s a storm and Keith can’t see. The wind that comes out of nowhere is blowing dirt and grit in his face and in his eyes. His hair is in his mouth and eyes as well. He feels the ground shake and there’s an ominous rumbling all around and it’s all he can do to stay on his feet. But just as suddenly as it started it’s stopped. And Keith panics because he hears voices, hundreds of footsteps and he thinks this is it. The enemy has managed to send for reinforcements.

The sentry that Keith was fighting is gone and as he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, he adjusts the grip on his sword and slowly turns to face the oncoming horde of enemy fighters. When he opens his eyes he lets out a shaky breath of relief. There in front of him is indeed an army. They are pouring out from rebel fighter ships and the masses include members of the Blade of Marmora, freedom fighters, and many others from planets that have joined the coalition.

But what steals Keith’s breath away if the IGF Atlas landing nearby. Keith tucks this bit of information away as the answer to the sudden storm. A hatch is opened and standing in the door is Lance brandishing a sword in his left hand. His armor is scuffed in several places but there is a fiery glint that turns those ocean eyes into ice. Keith inhales and he’s filled with a renewed strength. He locks eyes with Lance and he can’t help the smirk even as his body threatens to drop from exhaustion. He twirls his sword in his left hand and turns back to the fight.

When it’s all over Keith is standing back to back with Lance and staring at the mangled mass of sentries that are littered all over the ground. He blinks as sweat burns his eyes and looks for the rest of his team. He spies Hunk along with several of the Balmerans and Rolo. Pidge is kneeling down helping an injured Olkari. Allura is lifting an injured Blade member and moving them to a make-shift medical tent. He spots his mom and Kolivan, Shiro and the MFE pilots.

He blinks and Lance is in front of him, hand on his shoulder. He can tell Lance is talking to him because his lips are moving but Keith can’t hear anything. He blinks again at the sharp frown that suddenly takes over his face. He feels Lance gripping his face ant the worry that has taken over him but Keith just stands there unable to do anything. And then all of a sudden there’s a rush of sound, like a roar in his ears and Lance’s voice, “Keith? Can you hear me? Keith, I need to know if you’re hurt. Talk to me. Come on you are scaring me.”

Keith let’s out a hiss as all of his senses seem to kick back in all at once. He feels every ache, every cut on his body, his jaw and head are throbbing and his right arm is definitely dislocated. He doesn’t move but somehow he sees the ground coming to meet his face but he never lands. Strong arms catch him and Keith screams at the pain in his body. Somehow he ends up staring at the sky but the slow movement of the clouds overhead causes his stomach to lurch. The sudden absence of adrenaline leaves him shaky and sweaty from head to toe and he knows he won’t be moving on his own. Somehow this thought doesn’t worry him as much as it should because he’s with Lance. Lance is okay, he’s alive, he’s safe, and Keith knows. He just knows that Lance will make sure he’s okay as well so he closes his eyes and rests his head against dirty blue paladin armor.

The one thing the Castle of Lions had that the IGF Atlas does not have is healing pods. So when Keith regains consciousness, he is still in excruciation pain. His right arm feels slightly better and it’s in a sling. He thanks whatever Earthly or Altean deity out there that his shoulder was popped back into place before he regained consciousness. He’s slow to open his eyes but he feels the sting of antiseptic on a particularly deep gash near his ear. He can’t help the flinch and it provokes a series of soft mumbled apologies.

“Sorry, sorry. It’s okay this is the worst of it I promise.”

Keith finally opens his eyes and turns his head in the direction of the voice. Lance is sitting in front of him. He looks nothing like the determined paladin with ice in his eyes. Now he’s just a boy with tears in his eyes apologizing for the sting of antiseptic as he tries to clean out several superficial cuts for his boyfriend.

Keith reaches up with his uninjured arm and wipes his thumb under Lance’s eye, “Don’t cry babe.”

Lance lets out a wet snort, “That pain must be getting to you if you’re spouting out terms of endearment and pet names.”

In spite of the pain Keith smiles, “No. I just don’t like seeing you like this. I hate that I made you cry.”

Lance puts down the alcohol pad and leans forward, gently cupping Keith’s face, “You didn’t make me cry. I was just.…I thought for a minute…”

Lance has to stop speaking for a moment to get his emotions under control. He presses his lips to Keith’s forehead and stays there for several minutes. Keith sighs at the contact and lets his good hand drag through the soft hair at the back of Lance’s neck holding him in place, “I’m okay babe.”

They stay that way for a few more minutes before Coran comes in and disturbs the moment, “Sorry to interrupt but we need to get this pain medicine in Keith so he can start to get some relief and allow him to rest.”

Lance nods and slowly moves away but stays close enough to hold Keith’s hand and push his inky black hair from his face. He watches as Coran inserts and IV and carefully injects Keith’s pain medicine, “This may make you a bit drowsy. Don’t fight it.”

Soon enough Keith’s eyes start to droop and he feels blessedly numb. He’s in that blissful haze between awake and asleep when he hears Lance, “I was so worried I was gonna lose you.”

Keith cracks an eye open and squeezes Lance’s hand. His voice is a bit slurred but he gets his point across, “I wasn’t worried. I knew you would make sure I was okay.”

He doesn’t hear Lance’s response as the medicine pulls him completely under.


End file.
